With a couple of days downtime in Saigon before catching the train north to Hué it was time to venture out into the city and soak up some of the culture and sights that this famous city had to offer. Continue reading “Indochina Adventure (Part 2) – The Emperor’s Pagoda”
The Galata Bridge in Istanbul links Europe to Asia across the waters of the Golden Horn. Eminönu is a district on the south bank of the water on the european side. The skyline is littered with domes and minarets from the many mosques that define this area making for some great photo opportunities from the vantage point of the bridge.
This photograph was shot on an old analog Pentax camera using film and the negatives were later scanned in for digital use.
See some more photos at: http://www.fluidr.com/photos/44720200@N02/sets
This step well is located opposite the Harshat Mata Temple, constructed in 800 c. and is one of the deepest and largest step wells in India. It was built in the 9th century and has 3500 narrow steps in 13 stories and is 100 feet deep. It was the most amazing sight to come across in the middle of rural India, literally in the middle of some fields.
The main trouble in attempting to get a photograph that really showed off the true size and scale of the structure was in getting a wide enough angle of shot to pay justice to it! I failed, but I still like this shot! You can however get some idea of the scale of the place from the tiny people seen wandering around the top levels.
Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue, at 85ft high it sits on a throne of lotus leaves – the Buddhist symbol of purity – and was completed in 1993, it is located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong.
The statue overlooks the nearby Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong.
A crazy ride via a cable car gets you from the mainland across to the island, alternatively you can hike up into the mountains from the shoreline below having crossed by boat to reach the Buddha. I took literally dozens of shots while I was on Lantau but this is still my favourite, The Buddha looks so serene when viewed directly from the foot of the steps but also so very very powerful.
JAMES HANDLON 